entrancelogs | here I go again on my own

Entry tags:

here I go again on my own

Who: Kurt Weller + YOU
Where: All over Wonderland
When: April 5th (after the event) - April 15th
Rating: PG
Summary: Kurt gets a basketball court set up, enjoys some beer from home, teaches self-defense, and cooks up some cheesesteaks.
The Story:

[ can match style, no preference for prose or brackets! ]

B A S K E T B A L L

Though Kurt does enjoy sports like baseball and hockey, the one he's always been most devoted to since he was a kid is basketball. He was good at it, really good, and excelling at that sport gave him a purpose in an otherwise bleak existence as a child growing up. Having basketball and his kid sister to look after ensured he didn't end up on the wrong path completely. He's missed it a lot, not having a game to watch, or even a basketball court to just go to and dribble balls around. It's only in the past month that he's given serious thought to setting up his own court here in Wonderland. He may be the only one who ever uses it, but it'll be there for anyone. It takes some time, getting what he needs from the closets, but then it's done.

A few days after the space event ends, Kurt puts on some gym shorts and a t-shirt, heading to the basketball court to shoot some hoops. The door is wide open so anyone is free to join him for a one-on-one game, or just to practice on their own if they want. Maybe if enough people get interested, he thinks, they could set up their own game. Just for fun.

B A R

Kurt appreciates fine liquor, but his favorite thing to drink is Prima beer. It's a taste of home, something comforting. He requests a few six packs from the closet, getting them nice and cold, and then one night, he decides to head to one of the bars with his beer and some frosted glasses, pouring himself a drink and settling in at a table near the dart board. It's entirely possible that drinking shouldn't be combined with sharp objects, but he's not too worried. And he's more than open to anyone joining him, hence the reason for a second glass nearby, and plenty of beer to share.

G Y M

Things have been...somewhat more mellow around here lately, but that's no time to get complacent. He knows what this place is capable of, and the importance of being as prepared as possible can't be overstated. There are definitely resources available to all of them, and Kurt decides maybe he could be of some use to others. He has to keep up his skills in his line of work, so sparring is something he's good at. He makes a post on the network, to offer up his knowledge to anyone who might be in need and seeking the self-assurance of being able to defend themselves. He'll be at the gym every other morning near the punching bags, ready to teach anyone who's interested.

K I T C H E N

It's just a little past midnight one evening when Kurt gets an insatiable craving for another taste of home: a cheesesteak. It's not hard to cook and he's having a restless night as it is, so he figures he might as well cook it himself. Asking the closet for ingredients not already available in the fridge, Kurt sets up in the kitchen once he has everything he needs. He's got some music playing in the background, not too loudly, and he gets to work chopping up the onions and getting the skillet nice and hot. He's got plenty of food for sharing, imagining the smell might catch the attention of anyone else battling insomnia.

[ if you want to hit Kurt up somewhere else, just send me a pm or hit me up on plurk:

cityoflight ]

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[ He waits to reach out to Ray until the event's ended, giving things some time to die down. Plus, he knows the guy just got back here, he needs some breathing room. Not knowing exactly what's on his mind - though catching on that there's something troubling him - he doesn't want to come across as prying. Really, he just wants to have a few beers with him and give him the latitude to talk. If he wants to.

So he messages him over the weekend, letting Ray know he has plenty of his favorite beer from home to share, and that they can get a table in the corner at the bar if he wants to hang out. ]

[ personal beer and a corner table! oh yes ray's in-- in fact, he boomerangs the message back immediately to accept the invitation.

he's always been too big to go anywhere much unnoticed. eventually, ray had decided not to try to be smaller. which is kind of ironic considering the whole shrinking suit thing-- ok, back on track: ]

Agent Weller, hey! Over here!

[ ray waves from the corner table with a smirk too big and too bright. he stands to greet kurt, a mannerly remnant of a past life lived in the business world. it's methodical and still somehow awkward as his elbows and knees jut and bump until he's upright. he forgets the bulky goggles pushed atop his head for a moment, focused solely on welcoming kurt.

there's a glint in his eye to accompany his use of kurt's title-- a hint that maybe there's something more to it than simple formality. ]

[ Henry honestly had no idea there was a basketball court, so he backtracks when he hears someone bouncing a ball and doubles back, following the noise. When he sees Kurt, he smiles a little and walks further inside. They've only really talked once or twice months ago, but Henry liked him when he met him.

He just watches for a while because he's never once in his life played basketball so he isn't sure if he'd even be good at it, but he's interested in any case. ]

[ This is really going to be only the second time he's interacted with Ray at any great length of time, and Kurt is noticing things about the other man that are both quirky and strangely endearing. He seems...well, a little dorky. Not in a bad way; in a way that reminds him of Patterson, actually. She's all brains, her mind moving at a mile a minute, thoughts and words tumbling from her mouth at such a rapid speed at times he can't even keep up. She's passionate and enthusiastic and just generally cheerful on the outside. Not a bad person to have around at all, and he's missed her.

So. It's not at all bad to have a guy like Ray around. He manages a small smile, nodding at him as he moves closer and takes a seat with him. He lets the 'Agent Weller' title go, interpreting it as a good-natured tease and having no problem with that. Rather than starting the conversation with the usual pleasantries, he cuts right to the chase. ]

What's with the goggles?

[ Kurt's been out of practice for a little while, so he doesn't look incredibly smooth at first, missing a lot of the shots he takes. But it's fun and he's missed this, so that's all that matters to him. He finally notices someone watching him and he stops, looking over with a little smile. He wipes the sweat from his brow with his forearm, moving over towards Henry. ]

Hey. Been a while.

Caitlin has good days and bad days. Well, she's always had both, but before Wonderland had sent her home and yanked her back, the difference between the two would be hard to discern unless one really knew her. Nowadays, a bad one comes with the very real threat of losing her entire sense of self and putting the lives of everyone around her at risk.

Today hasn't been bad, not really, up until a few hours ago. She'd crawled into bed at a reasonable hour and was rewarded with nightmares for her troubles. The specifics elude her, but whatever they were, they caused her to wake up with her sheets covered in frost and ice and several locks of her hair turned stark white.

(She'll dye it back in the morning. It wouldn't be the first time she's had to.)

When she heads down to the kitchen, it's with the intention of making a cup of tea. But as she gets closer, there's a mouth-watering smell in the air that makes her stomach give a plaintative whine. She isn't surprised to see it's Kurt at the source of it.

"No pancakes?"

I know, things have been kinda...well. You know how it goes. You've almost been here for a year, right?

[ It seems like a really long time ago that they met in the hallway for the first time, but they've talked on the network since then, just not face to face. ]

[ it takes a moment for ray to realize what kurt is referencing. ]

Oh! They're a VR prototype I've been working on.

[ he pulls them off of his head to hold out in case kurt has any interest in taking a look. ]

It's one of my pet projects, kind of. When I start to bang my head against a Wonderland project, sometimes it helps to switch gears, you know? You can try them out if you want.

[ wiggle wiggle. ]

Seth hasn't really adjusted to a life that is later in the day as some of his family lives, so he spends most of the days working on keeping himself busy, as well as keeping himself in shape.

The sound of a basketball hitting the ground is familiar, and he changes his gait, heading for the court. Dressed from his run in shorts and a tee with sneakers, so at least he's not in a tailored suit, Seth only hesitates a minute before stepping up.

"So what's the game today?" He was up for anything, remembering days at neighborhood parks playing pick up until the sunset.

[ It honestly took some time for Sarah to want to be out of the room when Ray was in it, but he's tinkering and she needs a new book to read while he's in his lab and she's on the couch he put there just for her. She's just going to the library, but then she specifically thinks up those cookies that come in a tube and gets sidetracked to the kitchen.

She's actually probably just going to eat the dough, whatever. But as soon as she hears that song and smells the onions, she's 99% sure she knows her brother is cooking and a cheesesteak is better than cookies anyway. When she walks in, she grins. ]

What, you haven't figured out how to use the stove at your place?

Kurt wasn't sure if anyone else would end up joining him, though he's talked to a few people in Wonderland who have struggled off and on with sleeping through the night so he's not surprised to hear someone approaching. It's even better to see a familiar face, and he smiles a little at her.

She looks...a bit different from the last time he'd seen her, of course, and he's not sure if he should mention the white locks of hair yet or not.

"Had a different craving this time." He plates a sandwich, pushing it over to her. "I made plenty, so, stick around and help yourself."

Though he's perfectly fine just shooting some hoops on his own, Kurt was hoping other people might decide to take advantage of the new court as well. It's there for everyone, after all, so he's glad when he hears someone approaching. He's just a little breathless when he stops dribbling, holding the ball and wiping a little sweat from his brow. He gives the other man a friendly nod to acknowledge him.

"Ever tried a game called Around the World?"

[ His sister has often been a bit of a night owl, so he's not surprised when she stops by the kitchen. He's got two sandwiches already made, and immediately pushes a plate in her direction. ]

Didn't wanna bother Jane. You're hungry, huh?

Yeah. Almost. Kind of went fast, actually. [ In some ways, it's not the worst thing in the world to be here, which is a strange feeling. ] You been okay?

[ Kurt is definitely curious, so he takes the goggles, holding them with one hand and just examining them for a moment. He nods a little, though of course, he's not really able to relate to having various pet projects. Finally, he takes Ray up on his offer and slips the goggles on, adjusting them until they're comfortable. ]

You completely built these? From scratch?

_{[Being well acquainted with Jane and Sarah, Anders can't resist an opportunity to bother the former's significant other and the latter's protective older brother.]}

Why am I not surprised you like to punch things?

_{[Hello, Kurt.]}

[ He should have expected this type of comment from at least one person, probably. ]

Why? Does something about me give it away?

[ Feel the sarcasm... ]

Yeah! Here, one sec--

[ ray fiddles with his device for a moment. within seconds, kurt will see a dark and simple user interface, bearing two options: FLIGHT SIMULATION or JENGA ]

Is the menu up?

I am, and I was gonna make cookies but since you're here...

[ She'll just sit down and let Kurt keep doing the work, here. ]

Couldn't sleep?

Seth crosses the court, giving a look around. "I never noticed this place before. Seems a lot more fun than running on the beach for an hour." Which is how he gets most of his exercise these days, but damn this brought back memories he wanted to cling to.

"Where you run the positions of shots? Yeah, I've played that a time or two."

Yeah, I think so. No one from home has shown up, but my mom and aunt haven't let, either. [ So he'll just take that as a win overall. ]

And the last event was okay, too. Going to space and no one dying is probably the best thing that's happened in months.

_{[Oh, he feels it. And relishes it.]}

The hulking figure and brooding temperament were hints.

And the offer might have given it away.

[ Alright, Ray, you just earned a 50 point bonus on the coolness scale. This is amazing, although Kurt, predictably, is outwardly lowkey about it with just a small smile. ]

Yeah. Flight simulation? I wanna see if that's as fun as it sounds. [ It seems easy enough to just select that option, and he has to admit he's really looking forward to what it can do. Not that he's planning to spend their entire time together with this, of course. ]

Not too bad at all. Did you check out the laser tag? [ That was actually pretty fun, he has to admit. ]

"Just got it up and running," Kurt explains. "I've been wanting something like this for months, figured I might as well get it set up." There are some definite perks to Wonderland, this being one of them. They can ask for so much from the closets, and that allows them some of these simpler, but appreciated, luxuries. Like just being able to play a game of basketball together.

"Well, if you're up for it," Kurt smiles a little, tossing the ball over to his new companion. "I'm Kurt Weller, by the way."

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here I go again on my own

closed to ray

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basketball as if henry even knows how to dribble honestly

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gonna learn, son

kitchen.

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Basketball

kitchen

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gym... sort of? fight me, i do what i want

lmao anders

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he's here to provide

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